Blank Slate in Missouri

[gocards1177]

Just bought 80 acres this week for the future "dream home"/hobby farm for the family (we have two little kids). It's about 30% woods and the rest is pasture. It has spent the last few decades running cattle, but now that it is ours, my wife has dreams of orchards and vines. We will undoubtedly do this over several years, so now I just need to keep nature at bay on most of it.

For now I anticipate loader work, road grading, and and brush hogging once or twice a year. Eventually that will transition into mowing between rows of trees. There's two creeks and some gentle slopes on the property, but surprisingly mild by Ozark "mountain" standards.

I'm in the research stage now, but hope to buy something later this fall. There's so much information it is overwhelming. Hp, transmissions, 2wd/4wd, acres per hour,etc. Up until now my tractor experience is the 50's model Ford 8N we had as a kid to mow my parents' 4 acre yard. I know I'll need something a 'little' more advanced than that. The only dealer near me is JD so I hope to visit them in the next few weeks after I educate myself.

Thanks for any suggestions as I peruse the threads!
NR

 

[Muhammad]

Welcome to TBN.

 

[Bird]

Glad to have you join us. A lot depends on personal preference, but it sounds like you've gotten a nice place, and just for starters, I'll guesstimate that you should be looking at 30 to 50 hp tractors, probably best to go with the upper end of that range, definitely want a front end loader, 4WD (or perhaps more accurately mechanical front wheel drive), and rotary cutter. My personal preference would be HST transmission for convenience and ease of operation. Have fun shopping.

 

[acme97]

Welcome. Always loved that part of the country. Originally from SE Louisiana, but will end up on our 20 acre in SC. I just got (actually will pickup the 17th) a new Kioti DK50SE HST with Cab, FEL, second rear remotes, root grapple, and 6ft rotary cutter. Of course had to get trailer to haul it from MD to SC. (Currently in the DC area). I also already have a box blade, 4ft rotary cutter, 4ft tiller, and a Kubota L35 with 4n1 bucket. So good luck on getting your toys! Looking forward to seeing your pictures and progress.

 

[k0ua]

Glad to have you join us. A lot depends on personal preference, but it sounds like you've gotten a nice place, and just for starters, I'll guesstimate that you should be looking at 30 to 50 hp tractors, probably best to go with the upper end of that range, definitely want a front end loader, 4WD (or perhaps more accurately mechanical front wheel drive), and rotary cutter. My personal preference would be HST transmission for convenience and ease of operation. Have fun shopping.

Same reccomendations here. I am down in Branson, more hills more rocks, less grass. I have the Kubota L3400HST. Gotta love that Hydrostat. Come back when you have researched a little more and ask all the questions you need to. We will try our best to help.

James K0UA

 

[Wooddust]

Oh the things you will learn....

Have fun with it, get the free help from Missouri Conservation on how to manage that old pasture, keep the brush from taking it, sericea lespedeza, musk thistles, and other nasty things.

In Rolla its fescue so any efforts with trees or vines will start with killing the fescue or you wont have a lot of success. Look into doing a conversion to native grass.

Buy more tractor than you think you need.

 

[gocards1177]

Thanks for the encouraging commments. There's definitely a lot to learn. I was wondering what MFWD stood for - thanks. I went and walked the property this afternoon. Really hot and lots of scrub and briars, but my wife and I are excited.

 

[flusher]

Just bought 80 acres this week for the future "dream home"/hobby farm for the family (we have two little kids). It's about 30% woods and the rest is pasture. It has spent the last few decades running cattle, but now that it is ours, my wife has dreams of orchards and vines. We will undoubtedly do this over several years, so now I just need to keep nature at bay on most of it.

For now I anticipate loader work, road grading, and and brush hogging once or twice a year. Eventually that will transition into mowing between rows of trees. There's two creeks and some gentle slopes on the property, but surprisingly mild by Ozark "mountain" standards.

I'm in the research stage now, but hope to buy something later this fall. There's so much information it is overwhelming. Hp, transmissions, 2wd/4wd, acres per hour,etc. Up until now my tractor experience is the 50's model Ford 8N we had as a kid to mow my parents' 4 acre yard. I know I'll need something a 'little' more advanced than that. The only dealer near me is JD so I hope to visit them in the next few weeks after I educate myself.

Thanks for any suggestions as I peruse the threads!
NR

Hi there--welcome to TBN. Rolla--went to grad school there when it was UMR 1963-65.

80 acres, huh. Rolling terrain I would guess. I wouldn't tackle your plans with anything less than 50 hp pto. Something like my 2008 Mahindra 5525 (54 hp engine, 45 hp pto, 2WD, gear tranny 8F/2R, power steering) with the ML250 FEL (6-ft wide bucket, 2950 lb lift to 10.5 ft, skid steer quick attach option on the FEL arms). Cost: new, about $19K plus tax.



JD has one or more models equivalent to this 5525 if you like green and yellow.

That's a 6-ft Hawkline rotary mower (aka bush hog, brush hog, shredder, slasher) hanging on the back of the 5525. OK if you have 40 acres or less to mow. If you plan to mow your entire place, it'll take a lot of seat time with a 6-ft mower. YOu'll need to get a bigger tractor/mower combo--10-ft dual blade for example.

I'd think very carefully about your detailed plans for the next 5 years and size your tractor accordingly. My first tractor was that little 2005 Kubota B7510HST in the photos (21 hp engine, 17 hp pto, 4WD, hydro tranny, power steering) with the LA302 FEL (4-ft wide bucket, 800 lb lift to about 8 ft height). It was fine for the work I needed to do around my 10 acre place (flat pasture) when the house was being built 6 years ago (installing paver block walk ways, patio, landscaping, general toting jobs with the FEL, etc). But when I decided to become a hay farmer (another moderately expensive hobby of mine), I traded that 7510 after 3 years for that much larger 5525.

Good luck and have fun with your new tractor.

 

[k0ua]

Thanks for the encouraging commments. There's definitely a lot to learn. I was wondering what MFWD stood for - thanks. I went and walked the property this afternoon. Really hot and lots of scrub and briars, but my wife and I are excited.

MFWD Mechanical Front Wheel Drive.. aka 4wd or front wheel assist.
Good thing to have.:thumbsup: A good Rotary Cutter (aka brush hog, shredder etc) would take care of those briars and scrub brush pronto You are definatly in the market for a tractor at least as big as mine or preferably bigger.

James K0UA

 

[duanekeys]

Welcome to TBN, you'll find lots of useful info!

I'm near Springfield but went to Rolla for my undergrad (computer science class of 2000).